Mount Kailash, Tibet - 5 Quick Facts

1. Standing at a height of 6,714m Mount Kailash is the Holiest Mountain in the Himalayas. Its circumambulation is an important pilgrimage for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Bons. Hindus perform a Parikrama whilst Buddhists refer to it as a Kora

2. Kailash is located in the Ngari region, considered by many the last frontier of Tibet. Here the desolate plains are populated by Dokpas, nomads who wander endlessly across the plateau herding sheep, goat & yak

3. To Tibetans, Kailash is known as Khang Rinpoche (Precious Jewel of Snow) which they perceive as the naval of the world. It is said a stream from the mountain fills a nearby lake which feeds rivers in the four cardinal directions. Curiously four major rivers do indeed originate near Kailash: the Indus, Brahmaputra, Karnali and Sutlej

4. For Hindus it is the earthly manifestation of Mount Meru, the spiritual centre of their universe; residing on top is their most revered God, Shiva and his consort, Parvati

5. Kailash was once the spiritual centre of Zhang Zung, the ancient Bon Empire that included all of Western Tibet